We use IB but require a days notice, which I always assumed was 24 hours prior to check-in. We’ve never actually had a booking that close, so I was surprised to see one come in for tomorrow around 8pm tonight. The person booking doesn’t introduce himself or his party, or give context to the late booking…only asks if it is okay to bring his pet bunny. I’m still wrapping my head around how the booking came in and why in the world someone would want to bring a bunny to the beach when that all too familiar gut feeling starts to creep in. No reviews (we’ve been really lucky with this, so wouldn’t have been the deal-breaker), states they’ll be arriving before check-in time (no sir), and has no familiarity with the area. With a unique name, I decided to consult google. Four different mug shots of a late teen come up from the 2017-2018 – drug arrests, felony grand theft auto, probation violations. The profile photo is a blurry selfie with a partner in it, but, the resemblance is uncanny. Airbnb couldn’t disclose private information but after being passed around to 4 or 5 reps, I was quickly offered a cancellation without penalty. Weird night.
So much for their verification process.
Their “verification” only consists of someone uploading photo ID. I don’t know why some hosts think they do criminal record checks or anything like that. That’s why I really don’t put any stock in Airbnb’s “ID verified”. If my guests have a clear face photo, so I can see that the person who shows up at my gate is the same person who booked, and they communicate nicely with me, I never even pay attention to whether they are “verified”.
If I had a whole house rental instead of a homeshare for one guest, I’d just ask to see ID when they checked in.
I had someone who stayed via BDC, and she stole from me, and afterwards i googled her and found her name in an article about court dates. Charming. I wasn’t sure if i should have reported her to the police, just to add to her file. (she stole a euro pillow which was new, a King size microfleece blanket, and 2 nice crystal scotch glasses)
if you require 24 hours notice and it’s a same day booking call Airbnb and ask them to cancel @jane1234
A day’s notice seems like it should mean 24 hours but it doesn’t. If you require a day’s notice then a guest cannot book on the same day as check-in. But it does mean that they can book up until 11:59 PM the night before.
I have to admit the bunny part doesn’t surprise me. There are 4 or 5 people on Nextdoor in my neighborhood looking for pet sitters for bunnies, guinea pigs and birds right now. I imagine that a lot of people got pets during the lockdown that they didn’t plan ahead for.
It doesn’t surprise me either. I won’t go anywhere without my cat and rabbits seem to be the same for some people. As long ago as my schooldays there was a woman who used to pick up her kids always with a rabbit in her handbag.
I can understand why a host would be cautious about hosting someone with a history of wrongdoing but there is a little part of me that thinks that people shouldn’t really be judged on mistakes they made as a teen five years ago…
Just because they smoked some weed, took their mum’s car without permission (possibly) and decided that probation was a daft thing, then it doesn’t mean that he would be a nightmare guest.
(What a forgiving mood I’m in today! 
)
This is helpful, thank you!
So I had the same thought, too.
However, we live in a large complex where people have a false sense of security and most don’t lock doors or cars. The entire Island’s membership is growing frustrated with the increasing # of short-term rentals, the last thing I want to do is knowingly allow an ex-con stay to really put fuel on the fire. To the point of alerting our main security gate that we have no guests arriving today with the name in case this was an attempt at something even more sinister.
Dodged that bullet. If it seems strange and makes you uncomfortable, declining to host is the right thing.
It’s a trained attack bunny. Beware.